Vincent Kipyegon Ruto wnning the boys' 2000m steeplechase at the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 (© Getty Images)
Since the 2000m steeplechase was extended to the standard 3000m distance at the second edition of these championships in 1988, Kenya has won all 14 titles. Remarkably, athletes from the east African powerhouse aren't the fastest in the field this year, raising the possibility that Kenya's sensational streak could be under threat.
The fastest man arriving in Bydgoszcz is 18-year-old Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie, who clocked a national record of 8:22.52 in Huelva in early June. He underscored his current form with an 8:30.82 victory in Bilbao three weeks ago.
Yet Haileselassie's best is only marginally better than that of Kenya’s world U18 champion Vincent Kipyegon, who won the notoriously difficult national trials in 8:22.7 at altitude in Nairobi, suggesting that faster performances are almost a foregone conclusion.
Joining Kipyegon is Amos Kirui whose 8:27.4 performance in Nairobi is the currently the fifth fastest in the world by an U20 athlete.
Others looking to break down the Kenyan juggernaut include Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim of Djibouti, who clocked 8:23.77 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha in May and more recently produced an 8:31.74 win at a mid-June meeting in Barcelona.
In a tactical race, Ugandan Albert Chemutai (8:41.29) and Louis Gilavert (8:43.53) of France could play a role in the medal chase.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
